Thermoplastic starches, either alone or in combination with other polymers, are often used in the manufacture of articles for which water or biological degradation are considered important. The thermoplastic starch is typically formed by plasticizing a starch with a functional plasticizer or mixture of plasticizers. One of the problems with conventional thermoplastic starches, however, is that they are hygroscopic and have a tendency to absorb substantial amounts of water, which can cause an issue during thermoplastic processing and a reduction in mechanical strength, ductility and toughness. To avoid the absorption of water, thermoplastic starches are thus generally cooled using a waterless system, which can be very slow and expensive. As such, a need currently exists for a more efficient and less costly method for processing thermoplastic starches.